It seems a lot of people are buying the AE2000U over the Z2000, just want to know why. The Z2000 has a 3 year warranty, the AE2000 has one, the Z2000 is 19db, the AE2000 is 22db, the Z2000 plays standard dvd's on br and hd better then the AE2000U and the Z2000 is $600 less then the AE2000U. So what is the reason you bought the AE2000U

Sax
You state z2000 is better than ae2000 as a matter of fact. I expect ae2000 to turn out to be the better of the two projectors. Just now it is a bit early to name the winner.

I wonder about that, too.........My AE2000 arrives tomorrow. I chose it over the Sanyo for extra features like gamma control, extra image presets, and Smooth pixel feature, and supposed better lumens output........will see if it's worth it. My guess is that when it's all said and done, properly calibrated, both pj's will output very similar images given the same technology that they both have. (Also, I'm hoping come upgrade time, the Panny will have a little better resale value than the Sanyo).

I'm going by what one review said about the two. It said the Z2000 was a lot better at playing standard dvd's on br and hd players.

They both may be close, the AE2000 has more hype that's for sure. While one preview has stated the the Sanyo playes SD better, I have not heard that it plays HD better.

Also, the AE2000 seems to be more feature rich, offers better contrast, less screen door, and potentially more accurate color. Also the AE2000 does have a rebate for 2 year warranty.

Simple. Who buys a 1080p projector for SD?

One other reason is that only one site has insinuated that the Sanyo outperforms the Panny at anything.

If you go to cine4home, they seem to say, in their preveiws, that the panny is better.

I'm going by what one review said about the two. It said the Z2000 was a lot better at playing standard dvd's on br and hd players.

That's just one review.......to me, what Jason, or Alan, or what the rest of the actual owners here have to say about it is a lot more important. For me, over 90% of my viewing time on it will be HD, so that's a non-issue.

Simple. Who buys a 1080p projector for SD?

Right. Who wants to waste precious bulb hours on their projector watching SD?.......That's what the family room TV or bedroom TV is for.

Right. Who wants to waste precious bulb hours on their projector watching SD?.......That's what the family room TV or bedroom TV is for.

Come to think of it ... who still watches SD? Yuck.

I'm going by what one review said about the two.

You don't see any flaws in this type of logic?:rolleyes:

Come to think of it ... who still watches SD? Yuck.

Yes, true... SD stinks :)... but I have a lot of legacy DVDs and I'm not buying another copy of Star Trek 2 or Terminator 2. However, I would be surprised that if the Sanyo does end up playing SD DVD better that it won't be much better.

Yes, true... SD stinks :)... but I have a lot of legacy DVDs and I'm not buying another copy of Star Trek 2 or Terminator 2. However, I would be surprised that if the Sanyo does end up playing SD DVD better that it won't be much better.


I have about 400 legacy DVD's in my collection also...........but I rarely, if ever, play them on my projector and waste lamp hours on it. It's Blu-Ray or HD-DVD or HD Sat. on my PJ and nothing else.

A guy who got his AE2000U, said it was brighter and had better blacks then his AE10000U, thats all it did better.

A guy who got his AE2000U, said it was brighter and had better blacks then his AE10000U, thats all it did better.

Was this the same guy who said this?

I just went from the black pearl to the PTAE2000U and damn!...DEFINITE UPGRADE!...Colors are fantastic!...Picture has POP...The improved smoothscreen is sharp...Black level not too shabby...This is the best FP out for anywhere near this price range ...IMHO...:D

Please stop...it's getting old...

I chose the AE2000 for better blacks, better iris, better looking case, brighter image, invisible pixels and overall better features.

Suposedly the Z2000 uses the same inferior iris as the Z5. Panasonic's iris has always been one of the best/least noticable units out there.

Currently the Panasonic is $500 higher. Soon it will likely be closer. I chose the Panasonic for the above reasons plus I was happy with the price.

Seriously, you base all your logic on this one projector on ONE single review. Create a bunch of useless threads about it and then come here to say that another person posted a "review" about it being a small upgrade:

Here's the review...Exactly like the PT-AE1000U only brighter...with slightly better blacks...:D:D:D

But he was joking...but you STILL take it as fact even though he posted:

just went from the black pearl to the PTAE2000U and damn!...DEFINITE UPGRADE!...Colors are fantastic!...Picture has POP...The improved smoothscreen is sharp...Black level not too shabby...This is the best FP out for anywhere near this price range ...IMHO...


So again, why are you doing this?

EDIT:

Sax's post was deleted (thankfully)...

I chose the AE2000 for better blacks, better iris, better looking case, brighter image, invisible pixels and overall better features.

Suposedly the Z2000 uses the same inferior iris as the Z5. Panasonic's iris has always been one of the best/least noticable units out there.

Currently the Panasonic is $500 higher. Soon it will likely be closer. I chose the Panasonic for the above reasons plus I was happy with the price.


Ditto here. ....yet, we'll see if all of those actually translates into a superior picture. Some early reviews on the new Sony VW-60 state that even though it has superior specs than the VW-50, it still doesn't produce a superior image than the 'ol JVC RS-1.......so you can't totally go by only what the company specs say..........real world testing is what counts.

will the new AE2000 feature the flickering lamp mode like prior panasonic models? ;)

will the new AE2000 feature the flickering lamp mode like prior panasonic models? ;)


My previous Optoma H79 did that also.

EMAGADNIM, chill out, I just wanted to know what one to get, and hear what people are saying about them, before I spend my money. If you don't like this post, then go away, and let the rest of us see what people are saying about their new projectors.

I don't think the flicker problem was that widespread. Of course you're going to see a lot of reports of it on this forum, but even those reports do not amount to much when you consider that you're talking about the best selling projector on the market.

I've owned two different Panasonic projectors over the past 5 or 6 years and neither of them had the lamp flicker problem.

The PC review of the Z2000 simply said that it was a "bit" better than the AE2000 with regards to SD material.

Cine4home seemed to like the AE2000 quite a bit more than the Z2000 in their previews.

I think when PC's review of the AE2000 comes out, they will prefer it overall to the Z2000, but may question whether or not it's worth the price differential.

EMAGADNIM, chill out, I just wanted to know what one to get, and hear what people are saying about them, before I spend my money. If you don't like this post, then go away, and let the rest of us see what people are saying about their new projectors.

I am chill, it's just you were talking as if everything you know about the Sanyo is a fact, so you can see the point of buying the more expensive projector...People would post something about the panny and then you'd say "well the Sanyo does this" and it was as if that was the end of the conversation. I'm not here to fight it out with anyone, I don't have a problem with you...

Anyways, when more people get their hands on actual units, we'll have some better hands on accounts on the various models...

I can't find a review of the Z2000or AE2000U on Cine4home, where is it at?

Definitely wait until other new owners post about them before you read one post and then run out and purchase. Not that we doubt him but to say it is a definite upgrade from a WV60 is very hard to believe. After I calibrated my Black Pearl I am getting deep, inky blacks with great color. My screen has plenty of "pop" and I can say I never had this good of a picture with my Ruby. I am not saying you can't tweak these new ones to be at least close but to say definite upgrade is to enthusiastic.

We are getting to the point where these newer 1080p pjs are so close in pic Q it is like splitting hairs. Now we get into features and adjustments options to help decide on cost differences... :)

Here's the translated Cine4home Panasonic preview:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cine4home.de%2Fnews%2FPanaAE200 0%2FAE2000Preview.htm&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

... Not that we doubt him but to say it is a definite upgrade from a WV60 is very hard to believe...It is very safe to doubt him! He does not own a Black Pearl, and the 2000 had not shipped yet. :D

Here's the translated Cine4home Sanyo preview:

http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcine4home.de%2Ftests%2Fprojektoren% 2FSanyoZ2000Preview%2FZ2000Preview.htm&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

I can't find a review of the Z2000or AE2000U on Cine4home, where is it at?

They are actually previews, not reviews.

They are posted in the sanyo and panasonic threads.

Thanks Anthony, you the man:D

I can't find a review of the Z2000or AE2000U on Cine4home, where is it at?Check the german site cine4home.de. Use Google language tools to translate.

You are getting flack because you are asking an uncomfortable question. A lot of the Panny interest is strictly because PC said it is better than the Black Pearl. The reality is that 9 months ago PC also said that the Panny 1000 was better than the Pearl! A conclusion that most knowledgable reviewers would find laughable today!

Lilgator: This is also simple. I buy the 1080P for my HD discs, and the 1080P player upconverts the quality on the 2,000 SD movies I own.

I think while I agree that many have become interested in the AE2000 because of the PC black pearl review/comparison, that's not the case for all of us.

I became interested after reading the Cine4Home previews. Their "previews" are more detailed than most others "reviews".

I think while I agree that many have become interested in the AE2000 because of the PC black pearl review/comparison, that's not the case for all of us.

I became interested after reading the Cine4Home previews. Their "previews" are more detailed than most others "reviews".

agreed!

Perhaps another reason to choose the Panasonic AE2000 over the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 is due to the review by Cine4Home of the Panasonic AE1000 which showed the inside layout of the unit, with its extremely well-designed ventilation path; If i remember correctly, it even had two different ventilation paths, one for the lamp and another completely separate for the lcd chips, and, from the look of the case, it appears that the AE2000 uses the same case design...That, as well as the unnoticeable dynamic iris, the capability for self-adjusting for best contrast and the near-perfect color points out-of-the-box, etc, as well as its pricing, of course, makes the AE2000 a winner by anyone's standard...Here's hoping that next year's version, the AE3000 (?) will be using LIFI lamps (i can just imagine the engineers at Panasonic already feverishly working to adapt LIFI lamps to next year's front projectors !).

correct me if im wrong but the last accounts i heard was the sanyo wont properly display 1080p/24. so that in itself would be a huge dealbreaker. im waiting until the panasonic,the epson, and the sanyo all get put through their paces and i see them myself at the meetup in january before i actually decide

Out of that group I am willing to bet you will get the Panny. I know of more then a few people who can see SDE with the Epson. Just a hunch though... :)

i dont think for me sde will be a concern, my money will go to whoever can produce the brightest projector in the most color accurate mode that handles 1080p/24 properly so IIRC thats only the panasonic in this case. the epson UB does look mighty promising though

I agree. All of these newer pjs look promising. 1080p/24 is a must though so if it is an issue than I would have to say the Panny will win...

Black case and Vertical Stretch. For some a black case is a negative. For me, any other color is a negative. That said, I won't buy either unless they really have black levels, shadow detail, and pop at least very close to or better than my VP4001.

Lilgator: This is also simple. I buy the 1080P for my HD discs, and the 1080P player upconverts the quality on the 2,000 SD movies I own.

There is no shame in that, I was referring more toward SDTV, than DVDs - as the projector IS the last/only thing capable of doing anything with the SDTV source (outside of an expensive scaler, which we can safely assume this forum isn't anxious about). There are a myriad of DVD upconverting players/options that would do a better job than both the Sanyo and Panasonic (think HQV Reon, or Anchor Bay) so picking a 1080p projector based on it's SD-DVD upconversion skills is not the brightest.

Go read the CNET reveiw of the Z2000....pretty underwhelming it seems. Not bad. but not blow you away.

For what it's worth, projectorcentral posted this yesterday.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projector_news092407.htm

Happy Halloween!

The Sanyo Z2000 review has stimulated a lot of questions which we are trying to get to. One of them was regarding confusion over the anamorphic stretch capability of the Z2000. Apparently other reviewers are saying the Z2000 has it. I said it didn't, without any further clarification.

The fact is that the Z2000 does not provide an anamorphic vertical stretch mode with HD signals, either via HDMI or component. However, if you want to feed the projector 480i or 480p, then the Zoom mode will in fact accomplish the stretch for you. Of course, nobody in their right mind would spend all the extra money for an anamorphic lens and 2.35 custom screen, just to end up feeding that whole rig a 480 signal. So practically speaking, the Z2000 does not provide anamorphic stretch capability in any usable manner.

If you don't know what we're talking about, it is probably not relevant to you. The only time you'd ever need an anamorphic stretch mode on your projector is if you want to install a 2.35:1 Cinemascope widescreen system, and pay big bucks for an external anamorphic lens. Most people looking to spend in the low $2,000's for a 1080p projector will be quite happy with a conventional 16:9 format screen, and wouldn't ever use the anamorphic stretch mode even if the projector had it.

We've received many questions regarding the relative brightness of the Panasonic AE2000 and the Sanyo Z2000. We have also had a number of inquiries about how each of these units perform with 1080p/24 signals. We will address those issues in the upcoming review of the AE2000, which we still hope to post on Friday.

Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading the site!

Evan Powell
Editor

2.35 related...

also, if you have a CIH setup, only the Panasonic will work well with a Anamorphic lens, if I read it right... The sanyo won't vertically stretch, I think. Don't take my word as gold... I just seem to recall reading that @ some point (take it with a grain of salt) and if someone could confirm that would be great.

correct me if im wrong but the last accounts i heard was the sanyo wont properly display 1080p/24.

I was just curious what others thought "proper" 1080p/24 display is? Is it 48Hz doubled, 72Hz tripled, 96 Hz or 120 Hz? I am thinking that 72 Hz is sufficient, but are there others who will only accept 120?

I was just curious what others thought "proper" 1080p/24 display is? Is it 48Hz doubled, 72Hz tripled, 96 Hz or 120 Hz? I am thinking that 72 Hz is sufficient, but are there others who will only accept 120?

It doesn't matter as long as its one of those.

The advantage to 120 is simply that either 24 or 60 is a factor, so the refresh rate can stay constant at 120

Got my AE2000 Today!!


Here's my quick take on it after 15 minutes of viewing and no calibration:


One Word: EXCELLENT!! :D:D


Compared to my current Sony VW-50: Brighter picture, contrast maybe slightly better, and more "pop" to the image. Right now, I'm playing with the settings on "Normal" picture mode. Colors are a little off in "Dynamic" mode. Very, very quiet machine. If somebody can tell me how to post some pics, I'll post a couple. So far, very impressive for a projector at this price.

Go read the CNET reveiw of the Z2000....pretty underwhelming it seems. Not bad. but not blow you away.

What! You mean a $2000 1080p projector won't blow me away???
What a rip.

I just put my order in for a Z2000. It is supposed to ship on Monday. $400 less and an additional 2 year warranty did it for me. I know the Panny has an extra year warranty rebate but its only up to 2,000 hours.

I might switch tomorrow when PC comes out with their review of the AE2000. I can't imagine that the AE2000 is going to be much brighter, same chips and same wattage bulb, but if it is I'll go for it.

i just found the z 2000 for $2295.00 minus $300.rebate so for $1995.00 i think that is the one for me, and have money left over for a screen.plus i need it to be white and low noise

i just found the z 2000 for $2295.00 minus $300.rebate so for $1995.00 i think that is the one for me, and have money left over for a screen.plus i need it to be white and low noise

If you're on a budget, that's a no brainer. What a steal! I like the white design as well (white ceilings).

i just found the z 2000 for $2295.00 minus $300.rebate so for $1995.00

Holy cow !, 1080p for less than $2000 USD, a new world record !!!

If the current price of the Panny is $2700, I would be willing to bet that it (AE2000u) hits the low $2k mark within 6 months.

What worries me about the Z2000, is the very very low native CR that cine4home measured for this unit. They've measured 1:1250 (with accurate colors), while even the old Panny AE1000 measured better (and even the dirt-cheap Optoma HD70 !).

Cine4home measured the Panny AE2000 to have a native contrast of 1:2500 (with accurate colors), which is *double* the native contrast of the Z2000...

The very low native contast value of the Z2000 can explain why Sanyo is selling it at such low price, but surprisingly ProjectorCentral found the real world contrast very similar to the VW60 and just slightly worse than the AE2000 (they said without an A/B comparison you can't tell).

I have no clue what is going on.

man this is confusing going to have to wait some more i guess

Where did you find it for that price?

Another peculiarity regarding the Z2000:

Some member here said that the Z2000 was measured to have 370:1 ANSI CR (while the AE2000 measured to 400:1 ANSI CR).

The Optoma HD80 is advertized as having 518:1 ANSI CR.

When ProjectorCentral compared the Optoma HD80 to the Sanyo Z2000, regarding ANSI CR, they've wrote:

On an ANSI checkerboard pattern, the Z2000 measures slightly blacker blacks, and slightly brighter whites. But when standing back and looking at them, they appear essentially identical.

So the Z2000 now has better than 518:1 ANSI ?, it seems like ProjectorCentral got an "Ultra-Z2000"...

(Are ProjectorCentral paid by Sanyo too ?)

Projectorcentral just posted a Ae2000 review with a lot of text comparing the two projectors; would be a valuable read for anybody considering either projector. In short the thought was the AE2000 is better and if you have the cash to spend, get it over Z2000. However both are excellent projectors.

I preordered the Z2000 and now after the review I going to see if I can exchange it for the AE2000. Damm they shipped it today.

Projectorcentral just posted a Ae2000 review with a lot of text comparing the two projectors; would be a valuable read for anybody considering either projector. In short the thought was the AE2000 is better and if you have the cash to spend, get it over Z2000. However both are excellent projectors.

Or, he says, if you still watch a lot of SD, the sanyo would be the choice.

Imo ProjectorCentral just murdered the Z2000 in the AE2000 review. First of all, in contrast to what they said in the Z2000 review, now they make it sound like the difference in contrast/black levels between the two is quite big (like Cine4home showed). Secondly, the lumen values of the Z2000 at accurate color modes, are simply useless (230-260 lumen, which is even dimmer than the Panny AE1000 with its D6 panels).

Or, he says, if you still watch a lot of SD, the sanyo would be the choice.


What idiot would buy a 1080p projector to watch a lot of SD?

Imo ProjectorCentral just murdered the Z2000 in the AE2000 review. First of all, in contrast to what they said in the Z2000 review, now they make it sound like the difference in contrast/black levels between the two is quite big (like Cine4home showed). Secondly, the lumen values of the Z2000 at accurate color modes, are simply useless (230-260 lumen, which is even dimmer than the Panny AE1000 with its D6 panels).

I agree, nothing like the Z2000 review. I think now they knew they blew the z2000 review.

ProjectorReviews review of the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 is up:

http://www.projectorreviews.com/sanyo/plv-z2000/index.php

What idiot would buy a 1080p projector to watch a lot of SD?

You will find a lot of such "idiots" in Europe (myself included) who want to move out of native 720P domain on SD and buy something which is HD ready as well. HD/Bluray has not taken off here yet and may take some time before becoming commonly available. Even the biggest online DVD rentals like netmovies.ch don't have HD/Bluray on their radar.

So if the Z2000 gives up a little on HD but has a definitive edge on SD this could be valid choice for me. But so far I am not sure about this between the 2. Best would be to watch SD and HD on both and than decide.

In US it looks quiet a bit different though in terms of HD content availability.

A review has noted that SD material looks better on the Sanyo rather than the Panasonic. Would the use of a good upscaling DVD player change all of that?

Sorry if this has been answered before.

You will find a lot of such "idiots" in Europe (myself included) who want to move out of native 720P domain on SD and buy something which is HD ready as well. HD/Bluray has not taken off here yet and may take some time before becoming commonly available. Even the biggest online DVD rentals like netmovies.ch don't have HD/Bluray on their radar.

So if the Z2000 gives up a little on HD but has a definitive edge on SD this could be valid choice for me. But so far I am not sure about this between the 2. Best would be to watch SD and HD on both and than decide.

In US it looks quiet a bit different though in terms of HD content availability.

I think he was quite harsh in using the word idiot.

In the U.S., i wanted to mention, 720P is HD. SD is 480i. So if you're getting lots of 720P, here we would consider that to be HD.

Definitely wait until other new owners post about them before you read one post and then run out and purchase. Not that we doubt him but to say it is a definite upgrade from a WV60 is very hard to believe. After I calibrated my Black Pearl I am getting deep, inky blacks with great color. My screen has plenty of "pop" and I can say I never had this good of a picture with my Ruby. I am not saying you can't tweak these new ones to be at least close but to say definite upgrade is to enthusiastic.

We are getting to the point where these newer 1080p pjs are so close in pic Q it is like splitting hairs. Now we get into features and adjustments options to help decide on cost differences... :)

The Black pearl without question had better blacks...but for my tastes, I went for better color accuracy, (which the Panny has)...Beats the Pearl hands down...Both great FP's but again, to my eyes, The Panny gives more for less money...;)

The Black pearl without question had better blacks...but for my tastes, I went for better color accuracy, (which the Panny has)...Beats the Pearl hands down...Both great FP's but again, to my eyes, The Panny gives more for less money...;)


I just demo'ed the Black Pearl at my local retailer yesterday......wasn't too impressed.....didn't seem all that much better than my Sony Pearl. My new Panny produces a much more brighter and dynamic picture. Even with regards to features, the Panny has much more useful ones than almost all other pj's out there. With the release of the AE2000, it just doesn't make sense anymore, as far as I'm concerned, to spend thousands more to get a small increment of improvement.

I think he was quite harsh in using the word idiot.

In the U.S., i wanted to mention, 720P is HD. SD is 480i. So if you're getting lots of 720P, here we would consider that to be HD.

Thanks for the clarification GMTP. I guess things are different on both sides of the pond after all :p

I just demo'ed the Black Pearl at my local retailer yesterday......wasn't too impressed.....didn't seem all that much better than my Sony Pearl. My new Panny produces a much more brighter and dynamic picture. Even with regards to features, the Panny has much more useful ones than almost all other pj's out there. With the release of the AE2000, it just doesn't make sense anymore, as far as I'm concerned, to spend thousands more to get a small increment of improvement.

I agree...I think the Panny is universal in it's adaptability. With all it's features and spot on color right out of the box, It's gonna put a BIG smile on everyone's face...From Joe Average to picky videophiles...Great job Panasonic!...I know "I'm" all smiles!...:):):)

one thing I dont get about that PC review, a little better at SD?? they never define what that means? does that mean better when you put a 480 signal into the Z2000? or better even when you put an upconverted 1080p singnal from an SD DVD from a Toshiba XA2 for example? If its better when you put a 480 signal into the Sanyo then thats pretty much a moot point, anyone watching SD on a projector like this is at least upconverting to 1080i, wish they woulda been more specific

one thing I dont get about that PC review, a little better at SD?? they never define what that means? does that mean better when you put a 480 signal into the Z2000? or better even when you put an upconverted 1080p singnal from an SD DVD from a Toshiba XA2 for example? If its better when you put a 480 signal into the Sanyo then thats pretty much a moot point, anyone watching SD on a projector like this is at least upconverting to 1080i, wish they woulda been more specific

I agree. This is important. Ever since my first projector, the Panasonic AE100, I have used a video processor/de-interlacer. From the iScan Pro with the AE100, to the iScan Ultra, then HD and HD+ and now the VP50. I don't care that much about the de-interlacing and scaling of these projectors. I am mostly concerned with the sharpness and video noise levels etc.

Doesn't this thread belong in the UNDER $3000 forum?

Or maybe it'd be better to have a 720p forum and a 1080p forum.

Doesn't this thread belong in the UNDER $3000 forum?

Or maybe it'd be better to have a 720p forum and a 1080p forum.

It's been mentioned a bunch of times...The suggest retail pricing (Which BTW is above $3K) is what the forums are sorting the projectors by...

Check here for my shots of the (magnificent) Sanyo PLV-Z2000:

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x103/guilleshop/Sanyo%20PLV-Z2000%20shots/

Simple. Who buys a 1080p projector for SD?

I did.. It happens. :)

What idiot would buy a 1080p projector to watch a lot of SD?

I am. It happens. I watch a lot of HD too by the way. :)

What worries me about the Z2000, is the very very low native CR that cine4home measured for this unit. They've measured 1:1250 (with accurate colors), while even the old Panny AE1000 measured better (and even the dirt-cheap Optoma HD70 !).

Cine4home measured the Panny AE2000 to have a native contrast of 1:2500 (with accurate colors), which is *double* the native contrast of the Z2000...

The very low native contast value of the Z2000 can explain why Sanyo is selling it at such low price, but surprisingly ProjectorCentral found the real world contrast very similar to the VW60 and just slightly worse than the AE2000 (they said without an A/B comparison you can't tell).

I have no clue what is going on.

Late reply, but....

If you look at the dynamic setting for the Sanyo on the Cine4home.de site, a non D65 contrast value of 3300:1 is reached. Also, Cine4home mentions something about the Sanyo not having a lens iris to deal with light scatter! Very strange, as we know there is a bulb iris and one other iris somewhere, but apparently not in the lens.

So, we can see the Sanyo is capable of higher contrast, my guess is that for whatever reason, the Sanyo just wasn't factory calibrated to a higher contrast value; whereas, the Panasonic was. This may also explain any minor differences in ansi contrast (assuming it's not just varying QC issues).

Nonetheless, paring the Sanyo with a warming color filter in dynamic/vivid mode, you can bring up the native contrast to above 3000:1 @ 6500k.

Cine4home.de is planning on modding both Sanyo and Panasonic into "Ultra" editions in upcoming reviews. Basically, they will max out the contrast of the panels and then color correct them with color filters. They may or may not add a lens iris to the Sanyo. The results of these modifications will tell us just how similar or different in contrast the Sanyo and Panasonic are.

I've posted before about the four lcd fp's I've owned all having dust blobs. Cinehome's review showed how Sanyo is the only company addressing this issue with user available removeable panel and a dust blower to get rid of dust bunnies and worse.
Why can't Panny and the the others do this. As much as I want the Panny or Epson UB, this feature alone may make the decision for me. I'll wait another six months to hear from you panny and epson lcd owners to see what's what.

Late reply, but....

If you look at the dynamic setting for the Sanyo on the Cine4home.de site, a non D65 contrast value of 3300:1 is reached. Also, Cine4home mentions something about the Sanyo not having a lens iris to deal with light scatter! Very strange, as we know there is a bulb iris and one other iris somewhere, but apparently not in the lens.

So, we can see the Sanyo is capable of higher contrast, my guess is that for whatever reason, the Sanyo just wasn't factory calibrated to a higher contrast value; whereas, the Panasonic was. This may also explain any minor differences in ansi contrast (assuming it's not just varying QC issues).

Nonetheless, paring the Sanyo with a warming color filter in dynamic/vivid mode, you can bring up the native contrast to above 3000:1 @ 6500k.

Cine4home.de is planning on modding both Sanyo and Panasonic into "Ultra" editions in upcoming reviews. Basically, they will max out the contrast of the panels and then color correct them with color filters. They may or may not add a lens iris to the Sanyo. The results of these modifications will tell us just how similar or different in contrast the Sanyo and Panasonic are.


The main reason why the Z2000 has lower D65-contrast out of the box is the lack of a Cinema-Filter (like the Panasonic PT-AE2000 or the Epson TW2000 use).

With the right color-filters, you can get the native contrast of the Z2000 above 3000:1.

Instead of using the adaptive Iris, which does not work very well, you can use the adaptive lamp mode.

Regarding our Ultra-edition: This one reaches around 3900:1 natively, and over 5000:1 with adaptive lamp mode. BUT: It is really quite work to obtain these values: We have to insert an iris into the optics, which requires disassembling kinda the whole machine + we have to readjust the polarization filters. But the hassle is worth it...


Regards,
Ekkehart

Ekkehart,

So, are you saying that with ONLY a proper color filter, we would be able to achieve 3000:1 CR @ D65 on this PJ? (I assume, using one of the VIVID or DYNAMIC modes?).

That would be great to test out... seems like a rather inexpensive proposition.

The ULTRA edition however is another story.

Will you be posting details on the ideal color filter and Z2000 settings for everyone?

The main reason why the Z2000 has lower D65-contrast out of the box is the lack of a Cinema-Filter (like the Panasonic PT-AE2000 or the Epson TW2000 use).

With the right color-filters, you can get the native contrast of the Z2000 above 3000:1.

Instead of using the adaptive Iris, which does not work very well, you can use the adaptive lamp mode.

Regarding our Ultra-edition: This one reaches around 3900:1 natively, and over 5000:1 with adaptive lamp mode. BUT: It is really quite work to obtain these values: We have to insert an iris into the optics, which requires disassembling kinda the whole machine + we have to readjust the polarization filters. But the hassle is worth it...


Regards,
Ekkehart

can you get a Z2000 you already own "ultra-converted", or do you guys only sell new ones that have been converted...

What idiot would buy a 1080p projector to watch a lot of SD?

How about those of us who watch sport on the projector?? Who also use a 1080p source for movies, not to mention a lot of SD DVDs from days gone by. Are we all idiots? ;)

In Australia the AE2000 is a fair bit more expensive. I am going with the Z2000 to replace my old AE100. The 3 year warranty is the deal breaker for me. I've heard too much negativity regarding panasonic projectors and the warranty or lack of doesn't fill me with confidence.

.. by the way, I lost 2 bulbs in my AE100 within the first 4 months.

can you get a Z2000 you already own "ultra-converted", or do you guys only sell new ones that have been converted...

You have to buy the Z2000 then send it over to Ekkehart for the mods. Sounds expensive from his description of what has to be done to accomplish the mods.

A 'good' projector should make any source look respectable. I have over 550 SD discs and just 52 HD discs. When I looked into a 1080p projector ( I settled on a sharp 20000 ) I made damn sure it was one that made SD discs look amazing.

The sanyo is the better projector for bi usage of SD and HD.

Well, I am happy with the Sanyo... sort of. It looks AMAZING with bright movies, especially HD-DVD in 1080p.

However, I have watched a few darker movies lately (Harry Potter), and the PJ does not perform very well in the dark scenes. I made an A/B comparison today with my old 4805, and sure enough the 4805 beat it *easily* in the dark scenes.

Well, I am happy with the Sanyo... sort of. It looks AMAZING with bright movies, especially HD-DVD in 1080p.

However, I have watched a few darker movies lately (Harry Potter), and the PJ does not perform very well in the dark scenes. I made an A/B comparison today with my old 4805, and sure enough the 4805 beat it *easily* in the dark scenes.


Hmm.... if I get the Sanyo Z2000 may be I'll keep my Mitsubishi HC3000. It has terrific blacks!

I preordered the Z2000 and now after the review I going to see if I can exchange it for the AE2000. Damm they shipped it today.

So you like to pay almost double for a AE2000 that use same lamp bulb, panel? bhpoto.com sell Z200 for $1549 while AE2000 cost $2699.00. If you check out the tweak threat than you can make Z2000 better than AE2000 just not in brightness term:(